Solid Gold Rabbits
by Lunatic with a Hero Complex
Summary: Sometimes the most cunning foxes are actually the scared rabbits.Edward sent home Alphonse.He's covered in strange bruises. He won't insult me.And he drinks.Something's wrong and Roy Mustang will know what it is.
1. Alice, eat your heart out

Solid Gold Rabbits

Chapter one

By: Lunatic with a Hero Complex

Many people refused to acknowledge the true worth that Edward Elric had had for the military. People in power do not like to admit they're dependent on anyone.

It was fact, not conjecture.

Roy Mustang was uncomfortably familiar with the tendencies of military power.

Edward Elric had also been well acquainted in that area. He just hadn't cared half as much.

But Roy had a story to tell; he was not here to be absorbed in self-analysis.

He supposed it had all started with a Bloody Mary.

He had not previously known the elder Elric to be a drinker. He knew for a fact that the younger was not.

Even without the armor shell, Alphonse Elric more than likely had a strong personal vendetta against alcohol.

Apparently, Edward felt no such reservations.

So Roy found out when he wandered into a small bar two blocks from Central.

He'd been here once or twice.

Not religiously.

He was scouting for potentially pleasing female company when his eyes first scanned over, then recalled, then came to rest on a strangely familiar head of blonde hair, and an also familiar red jacket.

Strange wasn't it that the first thing he recognized on the boy was his hair. It was not a healthy sign indeed that he knew anyone's hair but his own quite that well. But he was strongly intent on intoxicating himself and squandering such oppressive, complicated thoughts.

His surprise quickly transmuted to anger at the site of the rather full shot of whiskey that the boy was downing.

However, he supposed Fullmetal was quickly leaving behind the boy stage. He was after all 17 years old now.

And yet so short.

He moved in the direction of the bar, taking a seat to the immediate left of the Elric. The kid didn't even acknowledge his presence, just ordered another shot.

Roy ordered a Bloody Mary. He assumed Ed's watch had gotten him around the age restrictions at the bar.

While he waited on his drink, he turned on his bar stool, "Fullmetal, I highly doubt that it is at all healthy for someone with your…smaller frame…to consume too much alcohol."

No shouts.

No rants.

Ed just turned his head and delivered a withering stare. Dull golden eyes. As if to say, _Why do you keep up such stupid, childish, games?_

For a moment, The Great Flame Alchemist felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment.

He tried to shake it off.

Ed spoke, "Just be quiet Mustang, you're in a holy place." A quiet smirk. He rose, laid money on the bar, and left, leaving nothing in his wake.

Automatically, a wind up soldier at the best of times, Roy followed.

He laid his own buck on the bar and exited.

When he came out into the snow, all he saw was a red coat disappearing around the corner.

He pursued.

For three blocks, Mustang followed, keeping a good distance behind on the near deserted streets. Not once, did Ed even look up. It was as though the path he was traveling was so ingrained in his mind that to think about it was useless. Although, he didn't seem too happy about the destination.

Ed turned a corner at the end of the third block and when Mustang followed him around it, the boy was gone. There was a row of doors on this street and he supposed Fullmetal could be behind one of them, but there was no way of knowing which one.

So Roy, turned for home, all thoughts of female companionship lost.

If he had known just how far past alcohol the older Elric's problems went, he probably would not have gone home.

* * *

The man's gold clinked with finality on his automail hand. He walked to the dresser that came with his room and opened the top left drawer. He lifted the false bottom and put the money in it, placing his back in the man's eye line. His first customer of the night was in his late forties, balding. What hair that remained was a dull mousy brown. He had a thin layer of perspiration on his upper lip.

A first timer.

Or, as it was sometimes called in this house, new money.

Edward undid his braid and put the tie on the dresser, he shook out the loose waves that came from the long time style and moved towards the man. It looked like he was going to have to take charge; he had to earn the buck after all.

He grabbed the man's hand, and the poor guy almost hit the roof. He pulled him towards the bed, and pushed the man backwards onto the dark red comforter. He straddled the extremely nervous man and began to unbutton the poor clod's shirt, moving slowly down, making it smoother for the customer.

Half way down, the twitchy looking man seemed to grow a backbone, and he took over, grabbing Ed by the hips and reversing the positions, from then on out, he just rode out the man's energy.

Inexplicably, as the man began to get started, a flash of a different face flew before him. Black hair, blacker eyes. Pale skin and the devil's glance.

Perhaps he could not explain logically the presence of that face in his mind at a time like this, but anything, logical or not, was better than what reality looked like at this moment.

The man lasted all of two minutes and he climbed off of Edward. He pulled his pants up over his ankles and buttoned his shirt. Edward was re-braiding his hair in the mirror when the man clinked four extra gold pieces on the vanity and left, murmuring a quiet, and timid, "Thank you."

Putting away the rest of the money, he moved back out into the lobby. In his head a bell tolled, and an unfamiliar voice said, _Next_.

* * *

Roy woke, for the first morning in many, without a hangover. It made sense. He had, after all, never received the Bloody Mary he'd ordered at the bar last night, and he certainly hadn't gone anywhere else before coming home.

Not, that he was complaining. The clear headed, painless, optimistic feeling he'd had when he woke up this morning was remarkably addictive, ironic of course because it only came from lack of addictive substances.

He rose and decked himself quickly in the uniform of his profession, ambition, and rank, and made ready to head to Head Quarters. Hangover or no hangover, he had no time to pause and enjoy it, he was not going to bite that literal bullet for the sake of celebration.

Locking up his home, he walked to the building, four blocks away. It was a blissfully sunny morning, a thing that, in his usual morning condition, was far more of a bane than any type of blessing.

When he arrived, cheerful and oddly resigned to his paperwork, Edward Elric was already waiting on him. In a rush, the former night's events came back to him and he felt concerned all over again. He forced it into the back of his mind. Obviously Full Metal was okay, as his presence here, this Goddamn early, showed.

Nonetheless, for a moment, Roy completely lacked the remembrance of why Ed was there. Then he spotted the slightly thick stack of paper in his hands and he remembered. A mission report.

Roy's own request.

One he was rather thankful for. He felt the urge to use it to corner the little blonde devil. All right, so he was a little worried. Or maybe bored. Who knew?

He went into his office, and without a word, Full Metal followed him, closing the door with his spare arm behind him.

Roy sat down in the chair behind his desk and gave a full minute of silence to allow Edward any ranting time. The boy remained silent, and standing.

Roy was about to initiate conversation when Ed shifted his head. He brought into brief viewing a bite mark on the part of his neck that was three inches away from smoothing into a muscular collarbone. Then the head moved back and the neck of the black shirt obscured the mark once more.

For a moment, his mouth was stayed. And then it resumed its normal course, "What information did you get?"

Bored, "Nothing useful, a few amateur alchemists and some funny parrots, no real mystery, just a misunderstanding.

It was completely free of complaints, or anger, or jibes at Roy's personal character. Clean cut, dry account. Moving on.

"Where's Alphonse?"

"In Risembool, with the Rockbells…bastard."

The nickname was tacked on the end of the answer, like a last minute, forgotten addition. As though the inner Elric no longer really felt the inclination to use the term, but tradition must be served. It was a little strange how docile the blonde was being today. It would be frightening if it weren't so damned suspicious.

"Ahhh, well Full Metal, this will come as surprise to someone with such a…short… history of vacations, but at the moment there is no where that the military requires you to go."

"Don't call me short."

He turned, and left. The anger that had been forced into that last sentence had been just that, forced, fake. Gaudy jewelry meant to fool the jeweler. It hadn't really worked.

He felt the inexplicable urge to not let the boy walk out of the door yet. It felt like something important would be irrevocably lost if he was allowed to leave now.

Mustang stood. He moved quickly around his desk and out of his office, towards the door.

Edward was only halfway out of the office. Lucky. "Full Metal."

He turned, bangs obscuring half of his face.

"I wasn't quite finished."

Roy caught up with him and he joined him in the hall, "Though we don't have anywhere for you to go, we do need your assistance with a certain branch of research. I need you to report here at 1900 this evening."

For a moment, emotion, real emotion, alarm, ran through golden eyes, and a not unnoticed hand came up subconsciously to rest on the spot that Mustang knew hid a bite mark. Edward looked ready to protest, excuse himself, Roy couldn't allow it, "This is crucial work Full Metal, I can't take no, you will be there."

Edward nodded, docile once again, whatever had alarmed him, seemed to have been put to rest.

Then, wonders of all wonders, he saluted, and with a quick, "Yes, sir." He was gone. Roy turned back to his office, marveling at the show of military respect and desperately trying to come up with something that seemed vital for the boy to research at 7:00 P.M. this evening.

* * *

The solid meat of an overweight fist connected with the right side of his head. Stars of pain bloomed in his vision and he fell to the floor. Never, never in his entire life had he so willingly let someone beat the living hell out of him like he had for the past 3 weeks.

A boot javelined into his ribs and the force propelled him over onto his stomach. He coughed and a large spot of blood landed on the splintery whorehouse floor. The wood absorbed the wetness, and in a few seconds, all that remained was the faint red stain.

"Are you kidding me, kid? Tonight is the busiest night of the week and you want it off? Do ya think I won't do what I said I would? Well, you little shit, I sure as hell will, and it will be even worse if you don't cooperate."

Edward wiped the blood off of the corner of his mouth, leaving a red stain on his automail wrist, and stared up at the hulking mass of a man, "If I don't go, then my commanding officer will get suspicious, and curious, and then he may come back to you, do you want that to happen? It's just this one night. I won't let it happen again."

Sid Raines leaned down and gripped the young man by the collar, lifting him up to his eye line, "It better not happen again, or you'll get more than a busted lip, do you understand?"

Ed's eyes moved down to the floor, "Yes."

"Good, now go downstairs, and work the time you have left, cut my losses."

He dropped him and Ed hit the floor with a thump.

The large man walked out of the room, leaving Ed on the floor, wheezing slightly.

For a moment, the blonde worked excruciatingly hard to fight back the violent tears that wanted to spill out and join his blood in the wood grain.

He won.

He stood.

He moved out into the lobby, and waited for the first customer of the afternoon.

* * *

He had found it surprisingly easy to find something for Full Metal to research. Looking in the back history files, he found a murder case that had remained unsolved. Five women murdered quite brutally, all of them astoundingly beautiful. Mustang had no idea why the case had been abandoned, but he knew it was the perfect opportunity, legitimate and functional, to keep Full Metal in close sight.

When the boy came in, the large, purple and black bruise that was blooming spectacularly around the boy's right eye and down his cheek struck him immediately.

Then, he noticed the dark rings under the boy's eyes, and the slumped, half dead gait. "Full Metal, what in the hell happened to you?"

The boy grinned, so fake it was sad, "Wasn't looking where I was going, ran into a post. I'll have to be more careful."

For now, Roy would accept, but he knew damn well, that that bruise had not come from running into a post; it looked more like he had run into a fist.

"Fine, sit down, I have the files ready."

He sat down, and imperceptibly winced when his thighs rubbed together.

Roy's eyes narrowed, but he nonetheless handed over the files, "The military closed this case a few years back, but their interest has recently renewed itself. The culprit was never apprehended."

Full Metal opened the folder, and flipped through the pages, when he came to the pictures, he paused, "Were there any suspects?"

Roy nodded, pleased, good he was interested, "Just one, but it was never proved, and the military has since lost track of him, a man by the name of Sidney Raines. Now we…"

He had stopped, because when the name left his mouth, the folder had left Ed's hands. It was lying scattered on the floor, and Edward had a look of utmost horror on his face, as though he'd been told that all of his nightmares were completely and utterly real, and very close.

Roy leaned forward, "Full Metal, Full Metal…Edward!"

The boy shook his head and his eyes cleared, "I apologize Mustang, I momentarily lost my concentration, continue." He leant down and began gathering up the papers that were spilled.

Roy's next words obviously caught him off guard, "Full Metal, do you know this man?"

For a moment, Ed's back froze. Then it moved again and he continued picking up the papers, "What man, I don't think I heard the name you mentioned."

It was a badly told and obvious lie.

"Sidney Raines."

A slight shudder, almost not there, "No, I don't believe I've ever heard of him."

"All right."

He finally had all the papers back in the folder, and he went back to flipping through them. Pausing at each picture to study the images. Finally, he looked back up, "Why has the military expressed interest after such a long time?"

"The military feels that such a horrendous crime should never have been left unattended in the first place and they wish to resolve it as quickly as possible."

A real smirk, "Oh, Public Relations, a good reputation makes a willing public, I understand."

Roy said nothing, everything he had just spouted might be bullshit, but in all likelihood, it was probably something that the military would stoop to doing, using the death of five young women to further their public interests.

Quick lies my friend, quick lies.

"You may read through the files, I have some paperwork to finish, just ask me if you have any questions, but I can't allow the files to leave the office."

Edward nodded. His mind was somewhere else again.

Roy nodded back and proceeded to continue with the work that Hawkeye had forced upon him upon learning that he was going to be remaining in the office this evening.

Ed moved to the couch. For the first thirty minutes, he avidly and dutifully read the files. However after a period, Roy noticed his eyes getting more and more lidded.

And finally when he looked up, the kid was asleep. His head was leaning against the back of the couch and the bruise was now fully exposed to the best light. And Mustang was free to examine it at will.

Yes, he had been in enough battles to recognize the difference between something hit by an inanimate object and something hit by a living breathing force. The brand on Full Metal's face was clearly the work of an angry fist.

The boy looked exhausted, haggard even. And yet, there was still an unreal sense of beauty about him. When he wasn't scrunched up in anger, it was far more obvious. He tried so hard to hide it, but face it or not, he was a beautiful person.

And for the safety of that beautiful person, Roy was going to find out what was going on behind the scenes in a day in the life of a blonde headed Elric.

But for now, he was going to take Full Metal home, there was no way the boy was spending the night on The Flame Alchemist's couch.

Roy put the file back in his drawers, and put on his coat, Full Metal had never removed his.

He lifted the incredibly light body, too light, and flicked off the light switch. He moved down into the street and walked the two blocks to the military barracks, and came to the Elrics' room, which of course, was now only occupied by one of the brothers. He opened it; it was unlocked, and moved in, closing the door behind him. The room was surprisingly bare.

A bed, a window, a chair at a desk, an overloaded bookshelf, a lamp on the bed stand, and then the door into the bathroom.

Positively Spartan.

He put the boy on the bed, and removed his coat.

A quick intake of breath. The boy's arms.

They were covered in bruises. There must be at least twenty.

Finger shaped bruises.

There was definitely something that Full Metal was not saying.

And Roy Mustang_ would_ find out what it was.


	2. I castle your king, now move on

Solid Gold Rabbits

Chapter Two

By: Lunatic with a Hero Complex

The next day, he knew would be a day to try his skills. You didn't just trail the Full Metal Alchemist, commanding officer or not. It was something that he did not tolerate. It made him extremely nervous, and why not, his was a perilous life.

For the second day in a row, he awoke without a hangover. It was pure miracle, and it was just as nifty the second time in a row. Last night, he had cleared an amazing amount of paperwork; he could definitely afford to slack off a little today. Hawkeye would be especially lenient if he worked hard while he was actually there.

He was at work for two hours before Full Metal showed up to look at the files again. He had known he would. Distracted the kid may be, but once you hooked him, you hooked him hard.

Not, to mention, he felt that as of last night, Ed had found personal ties in the case. He wasn't sure how, but he knew it had to do with Sidney Raines. A dirty man if Roy had ever laid eyes on one, and he had seen his share of dirty men in his time. A veritable janitor's closet of scum and back street lackeys.

He handed over the files silently and said nothing, today was not a verbal investigation, he just had to know when to move, when to get closer, and when to fade back.

At 2:30, Full Metal rose and handed back the files, "Colonel." A quick salute.

He gave the boy a three-minute head start. He moved to Hawkeye's desk, "Lt. Hawkeye, I am taking the remainder of the day off." She looked ready to protest, but at his look, she stayed her tongue, "Yes sir."

He put on his coat, and left the building, quickly. When he exited, Ed was about mid-courtyard. He followed him casually; runners attract attention.

First, Full Metal went to the military barracks. He disappeared inside of his room for ten minutes, and emerged. His coat was wrapped tightly around him, but something looked different.

Again, Roy followed. He was careful. Twice, Edward turned around in a dead stop in the middle of the sidewalk, and Mustang was almost sure that he had been spotted. Then, the blonde would move on and Roy would once again pursue, dead set on achieving the right answers.

They went down the street that Roy had lost him on two nights ago. This time, he saw the door the boy went into.

He felt he needed to get rid of the military uniform. Something told him the type of people behind that door did not appreciate government officials.

He went back to his own apartment, and changed into blue jeans and a white button up shirt. Something that could never be mistaken for military attire.

At the door that Edward had disappeared behind, Roy felt a tinge of nervousness. For what, he had no idea. Whatever was behind that door was probably no match for a state alchemist. But, if that was so, why was Edward in there, and why was he suddenly so much more wraith like than it was ever thought possible.

He expelled his fear and knocked.

The door opened and a man ushered him in. A man in an Armani suit. Strange attire for such a run down building. The man smiled, "Welcome sir, to the Blue Leaf Rest Home, come right in." He followed the well-dressed man into a lobby of sorts. There were red velvet couches everywhere, with gold embroidery. On these couches, were women and men. All shapes and sizes. But you could tell the employees from the clients a mile away. Their clothing marked them like lepers. Fishnets, and corset tops. Chains, leather, lace. The customers were pale images of human life in comparison.

Roy felt bile rise in his throat. Neither explanation that there could be for Edward's presence in this home could bode well.

Then, his eyes landed on the far couch. And the bile rushed down his esophagus, and he felt his heart replace it.

Edward was sprawled on the red velvet in leather pants, and a mesh black top. There was no ornamentation on him anywhere else, just the automail. At the moment, there was a man sitting at Edward's feet, and sickeningly enough, Ed was flirting with him, drawing him in.

"Do you see something that pleases you sir?" The voice in his ear startled him out of his reverie. He turned and looked at the broad man that had addressed him, and again, he received a nasty shock, Sidney Raines. He'd seen enough of this man's pictures.

He recovered nicely, and he formed a plan, "Yes, actually, the blonde over there on the far left." Raines turned and looked, he smiled, "Ahhh yes, Kit, fine choice of course, we must have proof that you have the proper funds." Roy pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and showed it to the man. The smile grew, "Wonderful, I'll get him for you."

He walked over to the couch and whispered in Edward's ear. He nodded, and turned to the man still trying to win him over, a wicked smile graced his face and he caressed the cheek. He stood, liquid and graceful, and followed Sidney back to where Roy stood.

When his eyes finally rose to meet Mustang's, the utter look of horror that possessed his features was enough to tell it all. But, after a quick glance at the back of his employer, the boy hid it, and his features were all seduction.

Roy had to fight incredibly hard to match the boy's restraint.

"Here he is sir, if I might have your payment."

Roy handed over the cash without looking.

Edward smiled up at him, it looked as though every inch he stretched his mouth, it broke his heart, "Come right this way, sir, I'll show you our room."

Full Metal took his hand and led him towards the hall way on the right side of the room. They went up the stairs with Raines smiling sickly after them, Roy had vastly overpaid, it seemed.

Once they were in the room that Ed had spoken of, and the door was locked, Edward turned on him, the tears already starting to spill down his cheeks, "What are you doing here, Mustang?"

Roy felt a deep frown crease his features, "The same question could be asked of you, _Edward._"

The gold eyes went down and he backed towards the wall, "There are things that you don't understand, there are circumstances."

Roy's anger reached an even higher peak and he felt it begin to obscure his vision. He saw red. In two quick strides, he had Ed's shoulders in his grip, one metal and one flesh, and he was holding the boy in his eye line, "What is there not to understand, it all seems very clear to me." The eyes winced and began to tear further, not in emotion, but in pain, "Roy, please."

He threw the blonde on the red comforter, "I paid your pimp and now, you are to service me, is that how it is Full Metal?" He leaned down over the boy and began to violently undue the leather pants.

Ed scrambled backwards, using his automail leg to get Roy off of him, "Roy, no please don't."

"What, you'll lie there for strangers, but you won't let me?"

Roy turned and began to head for the door, when Ed's voice rang out over the short airspace.

"He said he'd kill Al! Al and…and…"

Roy turned, waiting; it finished in a whisper.

"And he said, he'd find you."

The boy was against the wall, sitting on the corner of the bed that was farthest from Roy.

Roy stood frozen.

It was much easier to believe that Edward Elric, the proudest person in Central would be working in a second rate whorehouse to save his brother.

But something still remained.

He stayed in the same, half turned position, "Edward, why would he threaten you with me?"

Edward stayed silent for a moment, frozen on the edge of speaking some irrevocable truth.

Roy finally moved, over to the bed, where the boy's legs were stretched out, the zipper on his leather pants still partially undone.

"Edward, why would he threaten you with me, he's obviously never seen me."

His eyes moved up to meet Roy's and the force shock of their hollowness almost broke him, "Because he…he heard me tell Al that I thought I …I loved you."

Roy's head spun a little. It was more than he was expecting, and Edward saw it. He spoke. Suddenly, he seemed to possess all of the strength of will that he had been lacking in the past few weeks, "Don't worry Mustang, I don't expect it to be reciprocated, but I still can't let him kill the only people I have left that I haven't murdered myself."

He stood from the bed, and zipped the leather pants.

"Now, if you still have questions, you will contain them until tomorrow at Head Quarters, you can ask all you want, but right now, I'm exceeding my time limit, and I do not need another black eye, so cooperate Mustang."

Ed reached up past Roy's thunderstruck eyes and ruffled his hair, making it disheveled, and out of joint.

Then he smoothly moved downwards, unbuttoning two of Roy's shirt buttons, one in the middle, one at the top.

Then, casually, he unzipped his fly, but left the jeans buttoned.

He smiled tiredly at the confused look on Roy's face and explained, "I have to make it look like you got your money's worth, now don't I, and with that bemused look I know you'll be utterly convincing."

Then, he re-braided his own hair and straightened his attire, wiping away the tear tracks.

"Come on, up an at 'em."

Roy was pushed out of the door, and down the stairs where Ed saw him to the door and waved him out, with a pinch on the ass to seal the deal.

Then Roy was alone, on a snowy street in Central, with a million questions, and one tired brain. He went home and slept.

* * *

As Sid gave him his comparatively small cut of his day's earnings, Ed was given a very rare and very frightening smile, "I don't know what you did to that black haired feller, but he overpaid ya by about a hundred bucks, and he left here lookin' like a lightnin' struck five year old." Ed just grinned slightly, he was a much better actor for this man, apparently, "He was a first timer, just naïve."

Sid smiled, "Gotta love naivety kid, it's a real money maker."

Ed laughed shortly, "Yeah."

* * *

Third morning without a single drink, but not a happy optimistic morning full of clear headedness. The events of the previous day left him feeling like he'd been run over by a truck.

A large, cargo bearing, blonde truck.

He dressed haphazardly and drank six cups of coffee, and then he just drained the pot.

When he came into the office Hawkeye approached him, but stopped short when she caught good sight of him.

He went into his office silently, save for a sharply barked order for coffee, and lots of it.

Two hours passed in this fashion, lots of coffee coming in, and no paperwork coming out.

Then, at a quarter till eleven, Edward Elric walked into his office, and sat down on his couch.

Roy looked at him silently for a few moments. Then he started right in, he did not feel that preliminary small talk was really a necessity, "How long?"

The simplest question first, and it probably got the simplest answer, "Almost four weeks."

Roy's breath hitched, so it was right after he'd gotten back from the last mission. It had made Roy frustrated that it had taken him this long to get the mission report, now he saw how the time could be hard to come by.

Next question, "How often."

Edward's eyes never left his, "Every day that I'm not here, and every night, save the night you called me in for research. By the way, am I to assume that the murder case was really not as vital as you made it sound?"

Roy ignored the question and focused on the answer before it. He felt like crying. How could he not have guessed it sooner?

It seemed that Ed was not as bad an actor as Roy had mentally made him out to be. It took some skill to hide something like that for almost four weeks.

And he probably would have kept on if Roy hadn't caught him in that bar.

Now he didn't feel like crying, he felt like throwing up.

Suddenly, Ed was in front of his desk, crouching at Roy's eye level. He held his chin in an iron, but gentle, automail grip, "No, I don't need an ashamed, confused man on my side right now. There was nothing that you could have done, and nothing would have benefited from me telling you, but now that you know, I need the annoying, arrogant, powerful, Mustang that is usually there. I can't do anything with a weakling, and I tell you right now, I have to do something, I can't do this much longer."

Ed's words hit where Roy's own psyche could not. It hit his ego. And it hit something else, he didn't know if he loved him, but he certainly felt entirely too partial to Edward Elric, and he knew, now that he knew of course, that he would have to get the blonde out of that house.

He didn't want him to be anyone's. Not if that person wasn't him.

Ed saw the resolve and relief flooded his face. This was an extremely useful person to have, this soldier, Roy Mustang.

He sat down on the couch, "Now, any other questions?"


	3. Bullet holes for string, a pretty thing

Solid Gold Rabbits

Chapter 3

By: Lunatic with a Hero Complex

Edward pulled a foil package out of his pocket. He tapped it on his automail hand and brought it to his mouth. He bit down and pulled a cigarette out with his teeth. He lit a match and put it to the end of the cigarette, and looked at Roy while he shook it out.

Roy mused that Full Metal's current occupation had had an interesting effect on his personality. Now, his nature seemed to be seductive when at rest. Defense, or habit, he had no earthly idea.

And then he realized, belatedly, that Edward was smoking.

"When did you start smoking, Full Metal?"

Ed cocked an eyebrow, as if to say, _Are you really asking that question?_, and then responded through the cigarette, "Recently."

He removed it from his mouth with two fingers and blew the smoke in Roy's general direction, "Any other, more relevant, questions?"

"You're working tonight."

It wasn't really a question, but it was something that had just dawned on him, and it struck him as strange. Now that he knew, it seemed as if it just now existed, when in reality, it had been happening for weeks, why should it be any different because one more person knew.

It wouldn't be. Supposedly, Ed had gained a smidgen of hope in the possible assistance of THE GREAT FLAME ALCHEMIST, but that didn't relieve him. Hope buoyed you, but it didn't pull you into the boat out of the shark-infested waters.

Ed grinned, but it looked like a grimace, "Yes, of course."

He took another drag off of the cigarette, leaving it in his mouth to put his hands behind his head and stretch out on the couch.

Roy felt a burn. A burn that he was vastly ashamed of. It was the fierce and sudden burn of lust. It was not long lived, but it was still there, and again, he mourned for the effect that Ed's situation was having on his disposition.

He moved on, no time now for thoughts that would not help.

"How can I be of assistance, Full Metal?"

Ed kept staring up at the blinded window above the couch, but he did speak, "Don't give up on the murder case just because you know where I am now, I'll help in the day, but no more night-time study sessions, it's hard on me."

A wry chuckle, and a prod at the black eye that was fading to a dull yellow.

"If we can get that bastard in prison, then I know Al will be safe. Our military may be remarkably greedy and power hungry, but they make very secure prisons."

He finally looked at Roy, "Trust me on that."

He left unspoken, Roy noticed, that Raines' incarceration would also make a marginally safer existence for the colonel himself.

He nodded, "Fine, but what about…"

Ed looked back at the window, maybe miles away, "What about what?"

Roy looked at his desk, his hands folded on his desk, "What about you?"

Ed seemed to sink straight back down into his existence all at once, he turned, his eyes questioning, "What_ about_ me?"

Roy wanted to scream, "While we're performing these amazing detective feats, how will you be holding up?"

And away went the brief life in the face of Edward Elric, "Oh, I'll be fine, I've gone this long."

Roy felt himself jerk in his chair. He only registered that he had moved through his rage because he banged his desk sharply with his knee when he did.

"This long, Full Metal? Look at yourself, look at what 'this long' has done to you!"

Edward seemed mildly surprised to hear the colonel start yelling.

He still didn't seem to get it.

"Full Me…Edward, stop, and think about it." Roy stood up and maneuvered around his desk to go stand over the couch. Ed continued looking at him for a few more moments, mildly curious, but not really in the moment.

Roy had had enough. He leaned down and very gently gripped the boy by the automail arm. He dragged him up into a standing position; it was a sad sight that Ed didn't even try to fight him off. Bringing the boy behind him, he moved into his private bathroom, and pushed the boy ahead of him in front of the mirror.

Now he stood behind him, a hand on each shoulder, "Look at yourself, Ed, you aren't even here anymore. You're somewhere, and I'm sure its probably somewhere better, but its not here. And right now, here is the only place that's real, the only place that matters. I can't help you if you're gone."

A little more reality seemed to seep into the gold, like mixing tea into honey.

But it was still not the right amount of reality.

He had an idea. A cruel, useful, but cruel idea.

He moved his hands off of the boy's shoulder, "But perhaps it would be useless to help you. You're not the Full Metal I employed. He never would have ended up in this situation."

The tea froze.

"Maybe you're beyond recovery." He stopped, his face reflected in the mirror behind the boy's head, just enough of him visible to see that he was smirking, "Maybe," he whispered, "you're weak."

The eyes in the mirror blazed, and Ed whipped around, his braid following a puppy trail through the air behind him.

Before Roy could prepare himself, the automail fist sailed into his left cheek.

He stumbled back against the black bathroom wall and tasted the blood fill his mouth.

Ed followed his backwards trail and reached up to grip him by the lapel, pulling the tall man down to his…rather lower level, "Do you really think I want to be in this situation?"

Roy blinked calmly, this was about what he had expected, and said nothing.

The frustration would eventually lead to a moment of release.

It was after all, the male way.

Ed kept talking as though Roy had answered, "I hate being submissive. I hate having absolutely no control!"

He pulled Roy forward and slammed him back against the wall.

Roy felt stars blur his vision, but he stayed conscious, the moment was coming.

Ed continued, and he could see the beginnings of tears forming in the edges of the boy's eyes.

"It pisses me off that I have to lie there and take it from a man who is three times my size and half of my intelligence. But I don't have a choice!"

It seemed to hit him as he said it, the true impact of his situation and he looked up at Mustang, as though not truly seeing him, but some other entity, and he asked, "How am I supposed to act? I don't get it. This is nothing like anything I've ever read about, and its strange, and its frightening, a-a-and it hurts here," he beat his own chest once, "and it pisses me off!"

His voice rose at the end again and he slammed Roy back against the wall once more before he released him gently and ran the hands to rest on his chest, patting the material softly as though testing its smoothing out the wrinkles he had caused, "I miss myself, Mustang," he looked up and the tears had finally started their lonely march down the barren land of his cheeks, "I was kind of interesting, wasn't I?"

And then he was seventeen again and he leaned forward against Roy's chest, not sobbing, just resting.

Roy let out a breath and put a tentative arm around Ed's shoulders.

Ed leaned back, out of the personal space in front of Roy and walked into the office.

When Mustang followed him, the boy was already stretched out on the couch with his face to the cushions, sleeping.

He left him undisturbed, but he would have to wake him at 2:30, the time he'd left the day before.

But right now, it was perfectly all right that the boy should sleep. Blissfully, maybe not, but soundly at least.

He really did find himself becoming a bit attached to the boy. He did not know if it could be called love, he really had no experience with that particular emotion, but it was not hatred. And that was a feeling he knew.

He was, of course, not ashamed. It was not in his nature to be ashamed of his…well…nature.

Edward Elric.

A boy that seemed to be so very unaware of his own value.

* * *

Roy shook the boy awake at 2:15, gently gripping the shoulder.

At first, the boy weakly turned away from the disturbance, but when Roy shook a little harder, his eyes shot open and he scrambled out of Roy's lap onto the other side of the couch. For a moment, his eyes were wide, wild, terrified. Then the light of recognition lit in his face and he calmed down, wiping his face out of habit, clearing whatever had been there while he slept.

"Sorry to wake you, Ed, but its almost 2:30."

The boy blinked, and he was back.

"No, that's good, I have to go get dressed."

He stood up and straightened his hair, moving towards the door.

Mustang stopped him before he turned the knob, "One last question, a retrial."

Ed didn't speak, but nodded.

"Will you be okay?"

A small smile, "As okay as I can be. I'll try to get some proof, of any kind. You try to do the same, and come up with a way to trap the bastard, I'll be a little busy tonight," he shivered, "We're hosting a birthday party."

That damn bile again, but this time, Roy had a goodish bit more control over it, "I will try."

Ed turned his head back to the door, "Thank you Mustang."

He left the room.

The door closed.

It took Roy a moment to realize he hadn't been talking about the murder case.

* * *

The birthday boy of the evening was about 5'2", only about three inches above Edward himself. Or, as he was known here, Kit.

Apparently, the birthday boy was a player for the other team, and he had singled out Edward as his birthday present. Sid had walked up to him while he was in the process of chatting up a female from the party. A pretty little thing with light brown hair, a slight frame and bright blue eyes, and she was falling like an anvil in a cartoon.

Sid had leaned into Ed's seductively smiling ear and whispered for a moment, "Our guest of honor has requested you, and you better not screw this up, his friends are paying extremely well."

Ed had never stopped smiling. He turned and caressed the cheek of the woman he'd been attending to.

"I'm sorry my dear, it seems that I already have an engagement, maybe we could speak on another day."

She nodded, almost hypnotized, she had been remarkably easy to bring in.

He moved behind Sid, following the large man to the most crowded area in the lobby, swaying his hips just enough to draw most of the customers' attention to it.

Sid moved out of the way finally and revealed a man in a makeshift throne that they pulled out when parties such as these came in.

The man in the throne was approximately 22, tan, well-built, short, dark hair, dark, large eyes. He reminded him of something, but he wasn't sure what.

A circle of his friends were around him, but the man did not take his eyes off of Edward, Sid spoke, "This is Kit."

Edward moved in and knew from instinct that the way he moved instantly kept all of the people in the circle glued to his movement.

He may a new hand at the job, but he had learned very quickly what people liked to see on his body, or what they liked to see his body do.

He straddled the man's lap, seating himself firmly on the man's thighs, and he placed his palms, face down on his chest, leaning in to whisper into the birthday boy's ear, "Now, I see a lot of people come through here, but I don't think I've ever seen one that turned me on quite as much as you do." He licked the shell of the man's ear as he moved back.

The man turned a flushed pink and none of his friends knew exactly what the cause was, but as Edward turned himself around to lean against the man's chest, the look he flashed all of them was a very good indication of where the blush had originated.

He wiggled his lower half suggestively, and he felt the guy respond appropriately.

With a smile that betrayed none of the disgust he felt, he leaned his head back against the man's shoulder, and turned to once more speak un heard in his ear, "If you would like, we can retire to a room, so that I may fully," he once more wiggled over a sensitive area, "enjoy you."

Edward felt the movement of his head as the man nodded, and he moved forward off of his precarious perch, to turn and grab the man's hand, and pull him slowly, and slinkily, to his feet, "Sorry fellas, I've got to take him away," he never left eye contact with his prey, no customer, "his present is elsewhere."

* * *

Roy shuddered. It had him rather belatedly exactly what Edward's last sentence had really meant.

A birthday party.

He had the distinct feeling it had nothing to do with cake.

And it was torturing him to know that the boy was in some room with hands all over him. Hands that held no regard for the mind beneath the flesh, but instead were filled with lust and blinded by the smoothness of his skin. Or the color of his hair.

It was truly not a pleasant thing to think about, and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to trek to the building he'd discovered Ed's secret in and storm in, charging the place and rescuing Ed.

But he couldn't do that. Because, obviously, that would give a few things away. And it would put Ed, Al, and himself in a world of danger.

Not to mention, the commotion would bring to the forefront of the military's mind, a few invasive questions concerning Edward's presence in a whorehouse in the first place.

Not a place he was sure Ed wanted to go.

So he stayed exactly where he was. He held himself down by pure force of will and explained to his own brain exactly why it was not wise to go rushing off to The Blue Leaf and demanding to see Edward Elric, the Full Metal alchemist, when he was sure everyone there but Raines knew him as Kit.

He stayed.

* * *

Ed had been instructed to skip the payment process, the bill had been footed at the beginning of the evening.

So he began at the next step.

Liqour.

"We've got Brandy, Scotch, or wine, what would you pre…!"

He was cut short when two hands gripped him from behind and pulled him away from the bar. He was thrown on the bed, and he just smiled at the man above him, he was used to overeager customers.

But then, things began to go wrong, all wrong, all too fast.

The man gripped on of his hands, the automail one and pulled it towards the post of the bed, pulling hank of rope from some hidden pocket Ed hadn't noticed before. The man had his hand lashed to the wooden post before Ed really registered what was going on and when he turned to evade the capture of the other hand, it was already in custody and mostly tied down.

The man moved, and did the same to his legs.

When he was completely tied down, the man pulled a pocket knife out of his boot.

Missed in the search before hand.

Ed eyed it warily.

This was not a normal customer.

* * *

He had fully attempted to be patient, and not rash, as Full Metal had asked of him. But he still found himself itching terribly all the way along the road to his home. And all the way down the road to the very bad door he knew existed.

A blue button up and another pair of jeans.

It had appeared as though he'd enjoyed himself last time, was it so far fetched, that he would come back for more.

He tried to look nonchalant. As though this was not this important. He walked up and knocked on the door.

There was plenty of money in his pocket, he knew he'd need to please the obscene man once more, and he was more than sure that the man would not make him aware of his vast overpayment.

Once again the Armani suit ushered him into the building, and he saw as he entered the lobby what he assumed was the birthday group. They seemed to be a happy bunch.

He looked around for Ed, but he didn't see him anywhere.

He must be with a customer.

Roy didn't have long to contemplate it, as once again, the oily voice was at his ear. Pleased as punch it sounded like.

"Back again sir? We are indeed very glad to have you. Do you have the funds?"

Roy held up the wad of cash.

The smile almost split the man's face in two.

"Good, now, any requests."

"Yes, I'd like the blonde from last time, Kit I think it was."

A tiny crease in the man's bliss, "Oh, I'm sorry, Kit is busy with another customer, but one of our other people would love to…"

He stopped and looked at the stairs. As Roy followed his eye-line, he saw a twenty something young man walking down the stairs, buttoning his pants and looking extremely sated.

Raine's voice rang in his ear once more, "Strike that sir, it looks like Kit is now available, just give me your payment and head up to the second door on the left."

Roy forked over the cash and moved rapidly towards the stairs. It wasn't noticed, many people were eager here. He almost ran up them, something felt wrong.

He opened the door, and stepped in cautiously, his eyes looking for the blonde head.

When his eyes came to rest on the bed, he had to bite his hand to keep from screaming.

Edward was laid out on top of the sheets, with his hands loosely placed in spread eagle position. The ropes were still attached to his appendages, and the boy was, it appeared, to weak to move them.

Roy quietly closed the door and made quick work of the steps from the door to the bed.

There was blood everywhere. On the sheets, in his hair, on his face, on his body, everywhere.

The boy looked like he was barely conscious, Roy gently shook his shoulders to alert him a little more, worry flooded his veins, "Edward, Edward wake up."

His eyes fluttered open, the dried blood on the lids cracking with the motion, "Roy?"

Weak, rusty.

Screaming.

"Yes, Ed, its me, now I need you to stay awake for me."

He was untying the rope from the boy's wrists and ankles, and he hissed at the red bloody tracks where the ropes had cut into his flesh.

"But I'm tired, Bastard, I need to sleep."

And he attempted feebly to turn towards the wall.

Roy stayed his movement and picked him up, grabbing his pants from the floor and slipping them up over the boy's legs.

A sharp intake of breath when the leather slid over his thighs made Roy look down.

He was cut badly there, and the bleeding hadn't completely stopped.

He hated it, but he pulled the pants up anyway.

He had Ed by the legs and shoulders, but the boy hit him on the chest, "Let me walk, Mustang."

Roy almost didn't, but another at another insistent thump, he lowered Full Metal's legs to the floor, but he did not relinquish his grip on the metal and flesh shoulders.

"I never should have let you come here," Roy muttered. Ed cawed harsh laughed, "And just how would you have stopped me?"

They were limping towards the door, the game was up, Ed would not be coming back here, and Roy had seen enough to grab Raines on prostitution and neglect, and he was sure he could pin some kind of murder charge on the man.

"I have my ways Full Metal."

A weak chuckle, and they begin to make their way down the stairs.

When they clunked into view of the lobby, the movement there stopped and everyone watched them descend, eyeing "Kit" nervously. Save one, the birthday boy watched them take the stairs with a cocky grin of satisfaction.

He was proud of what he had done.

Roy felt Edward tense up against his side and he tightened his grip gently on the flesh shoulder.

A slight wince.

Too hard.

They gained the ground floor and moved towards the door.

Halfway there, they were stopped by the ominous footsteps and greasy voice of the proprietor, Raines.

"Where do you think you're going, Kit?"

Ed turned to the broad man and looked at him sarcastically, "I'm leaving, _Sid_."

Ed turned back into Roy's grip and continued to thunk towards the door.

Roy felt, more than heard, Sid run at them, and he slipped on his glove, turned to the herding mass…and snapped.

A bout of flame leapt from his hands and blew Raines back 10 feet.

He sat smoking on his own wooden floor, dazed, and watched Roy.

Roy was fixing to move forward and incarcerate the man when a voice sounded off right next to him, or rather, right next to Edd.

"Oh, don't tell me you're leaving, you little whore. I thought I turned you on?"

The birthday boy was standing there, playing with Ed's hair and grinning like a shark.

Roy almost had an apoplectic fit.

He poised his hand to snap, but Ed beat him to the man.

Ed limped out of Roy's arm and put his hands on the man's chest, and leaned up into his ear, whispering just as he had earlier that evening, "I don't get turned on by sick trash, trash belongs on the floor."

And his automail knee came up into the man's groin.

Birthday boy's eyes crossed and he hit the floor. Before much more could happen, Ed clapped his hand and, with a wince, hit his hands to the floor.

A blue light twined over the people in the room and matching hands simultaneously rose from the wooden planks of the floor and gripped both Sid and the birthday boy.

He turned, "Come on Roy, lets go."

And promptly collapsed.

Roy caught him.


End file.
